Consumer Law

Judge’s failure to recuse because of stock ownership doesn’t require vacating decision, 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has refused to disturb a judge’s ruling in favor of Walmart, despite her ownership of company stock.

Dec 12, 2022 10:49 AM CST

Poll: Which ABA Journal magazine cover from 2022 was your favorite?

We covered a wide array of diverse, in-depth and hard-hitting legal topics at the ABA Journal in 2022.

Dec 12, 2022 8:47 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: Accused ‘my guns are bigger’ judge resigns; Texas district attorney resigns, takes the Fifth

Judge who displayed gun on bench resigns Judge David W. Hummel Jr. of West Virginia has resigned from the bench after a video confirmed that he placed a gun on the bench during a hearing. Hummel had been accused of taking out the gun after refusing to let a lawyer’s…

Dec 2, 2022 3:02 PM CST

Mac and cheese isn’t really ready in 3.5 minutes, lawsuit claims

A Florida woman has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the Kraft Heinz Foods Co. misled consumers when it claimed that its Velveeta Shells & Cheese product is “ready in 3.5 minutes.”

Nov 29, 2022 9:10 AM CST

Calls mount for binding SCOTUS ethics code after anti-abortion crusader alleges Hobby Lobby leak

A former anti-abortion crusader’s allegations about a leak of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in a case involving retail company Hobby Lobby have led to calls for hearings and a binding ethics code for the justices.

Nov 21, 2022 10:52 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: 2 suits against Trump are tossed; lawyers jump to BigLaw from virtual firm

Trump wins dismissal of suits by niece, former lawyer Former President Donald Trump won dismissals Monday of lawsuits filed against him by his niece Mary Trump and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Mary Trump had alleged that she was duped about the value of inherited property when she agreed…

Nov 18, 2022 3:23 PM CST

Would Twitter get Section 230 immunity in lawsuits filed over fake tweets with blue check marks?

Plaintiffs lawyer Jay Edelson told Reuters that he is researching whether Twitter could be sued for giving blue check marks to fake accounts that misled consumers and corporate shareholders.

Nov 15, 2022 12:39 PM CST

Funding structure for consumer agency violates separation of powers, 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled that the funding structure for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is unconstitutional because it is funded by the Federal Reserve System, rather than Congress.

Oct 21, 2022 8:59 AM CDT

8th Circuit upholds food-safety law in suit by pastor who gave bologna sandwiches to homeless people

A pastor and his assistant who were ticketed but not prosecuted for handing out bologna sandwiches to homeless people have lost their First Amendment lawsuit against the city of St. Louis.

Oct 19, 2022 9:05 AM CDT

Smith & Wesson is accused of marketing guns to ‘disturbed young men’ in suit by July 4 victims

Several lawsuits filed Wednesday seek to hold Smith & Wesson accountable for the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, during a parade.

Sep 29, 2022 11:18 AM CDT

FTC suit seeks to stop broker’s sales of cellphone data that could be used to track visits to abortion clinics

The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against data broker Kochava Inc. on Monday that seeks to block the company’s sales of geolocation data from mobile devices that could be used to track visits to abortion clinics and other sensitive locations.

Aug 30, 2022 10:01 AM CDT

Georgia jury reaches $1.7B verdict in case over Ford truck crash

A jury in Georgia decided Friday that the Ford Motor Co. must pay $1.7 billion in punitive damages in a product liability trial involving its F-250 pickup trucks.

Aug 23, 2022 11:39 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Embryos can be tax dependents; top state court upholds mail voting

Georgia allows embryos to be claimed as dependents Embryos with a “detectable human heartbeat” can be claimed as dependents on state income tax returns in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Revenue issued guidance on the deduction after a federal appeals court upheld the state’s six-week abortion ban, which expands the…

Aug 5, 2022 2:59 PM CDT

Smoker can sue tobacco company for consumer fraud, even though she didn’t use its products, state supreme court says

A smoker can sue the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. for misrepresenting the health hazards of cigarettes, even though she smoked brands made by other companies, a Nevada Supreme Court panel has ruled.

Aug 4, 2022 10:47 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Bannon convicted for contempt of Congress; suit targets Skittles ingredient

Steve Bannon convicted for contempt of Congress Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Steve Bannon, a former adviser for former President Donald Trump, on two counts of contempt of Congress on Friday. He was prosecuted for defying a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6,…

Jul 22, 2022 3:28 PM CDT